What Book Clubs Are Reading in December

This Booker-shortlisted novella, packing plenty of hope and holiday spirit into a slim 116-page package, was selected by both The New York Times Book Review and Oprah’s Book Club this month. We can’t think of a cozier way to embrace the festive spirit of December than by curling up with this literary delight, inspired by the ultimate Dickens holiday classic.

This month, Emma Roberts and Karah Preiss spotlight a must-read thriller guaranteed to keep you guessing until the final page, which Kirkus Reviews calls “mesmerizing, improbable, and deeply compelling” in their starred review. Sign up today at Tertulia.com/Belletrist to have each monthly Belletrist book pick delivered to your mailbox, along with an intimate author conversation at the end of the month.

For her December Audacious Book Club pick, Roxane Gay chose the latest work from the National Book Award winner and MacArthur "Genius" that takes readers from West Africa to the American South and Palestine. This powerful exploration reveals how the stories we tell—and those we don't—shape our realities, offering a sharp look at the myths that fuel conflict and distort the truth.

This month, actor Dakota Johnson picked a witty novel about a marriage seen through the lens of two family vacations from the author of Joan is Okay, which San Francisco Chronicle called “blazingly insightful… a pitch-perfect send-up of all the ways we humans can misunderstand or unintentionally (sometimes intentionally) wound our loved ones and drive each other crazy.”

For December, Jenna Bush Hager chose a stunning collection by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Mary Oliver, showcasing over five decades of her best work. “I find her poetry to be so cathartic and beautiful… I love her work. It’s about nature and love and what it means to be human,” declared the TODAY host.

Kaia Gerber’s December pick is the electrifying debut novel of a Japanese icon, now available in English for the first time. Perfect for readers ready to immerse themselves in Suzuki’s cult legacy, it plunges into Tokyo’s ’70s club scene, where love and chaos unfold to a psychedelic rock soundtrack.

For December, Florence Welch selected a queer end-of-the-world story from the Our Wives Under the Sea author. The lit-loving indie rocker was captivated by the book’s “unsettling, eerie prose” and praised it as a “damp and devastating exploration of sisterhood, endings, and the cruelty of family.”

Reese Witherspoon invites her book club to step into “the fierce and beautiful world of ballet” with her December pick. “In this powerful story, Natalia faces a choice: return to the demanding world of Russian dance that nearly broke her or walk away for good. This story left me thinking about the ways we overcome setbacks and redefine what truly matters,” Reese shared.

Saveur Magazine's December Book Club pick is a mouthwatering collection of 300 cookie recipes from nearly 100 countries. From French macarons to Sri Lankan sugar cookies, this global cookie tour offers irresistible treats with fascinating stories and easy-to-follow recipes for bakers of all levels.

Queen Camilla described her final book selection of the year as an “intelligent and humble family memoir [that] traces the origins of Edmund de Waal's collection of netsuke miniatures, while simultaneously recounting the miraculous story of his family, the Ephrussi, and the loss of their home, family, and fortune when the Nazis invaded Vienna in 1938.”